Charles Hollis' picks: UA defense could be tested by Razorbacks

The expectations for Nick Saban’s third Alabama team are sky-high and out of control if you read our al.com message boards and listen to talk radio.

What Crimson Tide fans need is a dose of reality, which could come in some form Saturday against Bobby Petrino’s scary Arkansas offense led by Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett.

A win for the Hogs? Probably not. But the UA defense we’ve heard so much about could get riddled by Mallett and Co.

Alabama cornerback Javier Arenas trips up a Florida International runner, but Arkansas' Ryan Mallett could be a big challenge for the Tide secondary. (The Birmingham News / Mark Almond)Alabama’s 2009 defense is not — repeat, not — the same quality as the 1992 team that helped secure the school’s most recent national title. Good, yes, just not great yet. We can debate whether it will reach ’92 greatness, but I don’t think so. You can have Javier Arenas, Kareem Jackson, Mark Barron and Justin Woodall — this year’s starting secondary. Give me Antonio Langham, Tommy Johnson, Sam Shade and George Teague — the ’92 secondary.

If Arenas is this year’s secondary star, then the¤’92 team had at least three players better than Arenas — Langham, Shade and Teague. Maybe even Johnson. I’m not sure Arenas would start in the ’92 secondary. Good returner, though.

Pick any four defensive linemen on this year’s team but give me Eric Curry, John Copeland, Jeremy Nunley and Bryan Thornton off the ’92 team.

I do think linebackers Rolando McClain and Dont’a Hightower, as a pair, can be better than the ’92 linebackers — Antonio London, Michael Rogers, Lemanski Hall and Derrick Oden.

Let’s say this. It’s early, and the Tide doesn’t have to face Florida in the SEC title game yet, if both teams get that far. But if they do, Tim Tebow and his average group of Gator receivers would burn an average Tide secondary, which would mean Alabama wouldn’t be very motivated to play Boise State or Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

This week’s picks:

ARKANSAS AT ALABAMA

Mallett is the only starting quarterback in the SEC who has not thrown an interception this season. That should change this weekend, just as Alabama’s No. 13 national ranking for yards allowed (143.3) and No. 2 ranking for first downs allowed (10.3) will change. Mallett is likely to surpass both by halftime. The Tide has not had to reveal much of its blitz/confusion package in its first three games. But Petrino will change that with his ability to keep Saban’s defense off balance by using screens and draws, and by using his receivers’ height against even the 5-foot-9 Arenas. Saban, however, will use his offense’s ability to control the game against an inferior Hog defense to keep Mallett on the sideline as much as possible.

Alabama 38, Arkansas 26

BALL STATE AT AUBURN

Ball State’s normally outgoing coach, Stan Parrish, is a bit sensitive these days. An 0-3 start has made Parrish the target of Cardinal fans and under early scrutiny by Indiana media. Parrish’s first three press conferences this year averaged 25-30 minutes each. This week’s lasted 6 minutes, 10 seconds before Parrish walked out. Imagine how long it could last next week when the Tigers, off to their second straight 3-0 start, hammer the Cards with their highfalutin’ offense and opportunistic defense.

Auburn 60, Ball State 13

UAB AT TEXAS A&M

A 15-point underdog, UAB can get its season back on track with an upset in College Station. It could happen because A&M is one of the youngest teams in college football, and second-year head coach Mike Sherman, a longtime NFL guy, is over his head in this college game. But it won’t happen as long as Blazer quarterback Joe Webb looks uncomfortable when he has to throw. And as long as the UAB defense can’t get off the field, it sure won’t happen.

Texas A&M 38, UAB 30

SAMFORD AT APPALACHIAN STATE

This is not a good time to play the defending SoCon champion. Samford (2-1) visits as the Mountaineers are off to an 0-2 start, but their All-American quarterback, Armanti Edwards, returns after running a lawnmower over one of his feet in the summer. And this is the second home game ever in the team’s expanded, $38 million stadium. And eight starters are back on App State’s defense.

Appalachian State 35, Samford 27

MILES AT CLARK ATLANTA

This is a good Clark Atlanta team (3-1), with the SIAC’s second-best defense. We will learn a lot about Miles (2-2), which has dropped two in a row. The Golden Bears looked like an SIAC contender after upsetting Tuskegee. Now they take on the team that suffered its only loss of the year to Tuskegee last week.

Clark Atlanta 30, Miles 23

IN THE SEC

Florida at Kentucky: The flu bug is spreading through the Florida football team. As long as Tim Tebow doesn’t catch it, and the Gator defense remains intact, Kentucky will catch a loss.

Florida 27, Kentucky 17

Arizona State at Georgia:Mark Richt is talk6ing about how the Bulldogs have discovered more playmakers to go with A.J. Green at receiver and Richard Samuel at running back. One is Joe Cox, the quarterback most of us were ready to write off until last week’s performance at Arkansas.

Georgia 35, Arizona State 24

LSU at Mississippi State: LSU (3-0), a 13½-point favorite, is quietly having an unbeaten season. State (2-1) relies on its ground game to control the clock and keep its not-so-hot defense off the field.

LSU 24, Mississippi State 13

Ohio at Tennessee: The Vols (1-2) should get back to .500, just in time for Auburn’s visit next week. Now if they can just find a quarterback, because Jonathan Crompton is last year’s Chris Todd and Kodi Burns.

Tennessee 28, Ohio 13

Vanderbilt at Rice: Vanderbilt has scored 12 points in a two-game losing streak. Winless Rice (0-3), ranked last nationally in scoring defense at almost 47 points per contest, is just what the Commodores need.

Vanderbilt 38, Rice 21

SURPRISES OF THE WEEK

No. 13 TCU (2-0) at Clemson (2-1): A field goal underdog, TCU gets to prove it is one of those non-BCS teams that should be considered for BCS inclusion. Clemson and BYU are the only two teams left on the schedule that can help make a good case for TCU — if, of course, the Horned Frogs go unbeaten.

TCU 24, Clemson 17

No. 6 California (3-0) at Oregon (2-1): If touchdown-favored Cal beats Oregon, it will be anointed as the Pac-10 favorite heading into its home game next week against USC. The Ducks are having problems stopping opponents and junior Jeremiah Masoli can’t seem to hit his receivers. But we’ll predict an upset anyway.